Stone collector



Sept, 15, 1953 w. H. CURRY STONE COLLECTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 14, 1951 INVENTOW m llfz am Cury W Y Hus Ar'rvs Sept. 15, 1953 w. H. CURRY STONE COLLECTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 14, 1951 I INVENTOR m'lliam curry my 7 HIS ATTY's Patented Sept. 15, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STONE COLLECTOR William H. Curry, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Application May 14, 1951, Serial No. 226,173 In Canada May 11, 1950 h 1 Claim.

1 a My invention pertains to stone collectors, particularly to a stone collector of a tractor trailer type, an object of which is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which collects stones from a field while in motion behind a conventional tractor with draw-bar.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which collects stones of a wide variety of sizes without adjustment or discrimination as to size of the individual stones to be collected.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which embodies a hopper or receiver into which stones are deposited as picked up, and which when full can be emptied by a very simple manipulation by the operator, without, however, necessitating his demounting from the tractor for such purpose.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which is adjustable for various soil or terrain conditions. That is to say, the stone picking element may be adjusted for terrain which may vary from freshly tilled to unbroken land.

Yet another object of my invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which requires only one man for its operation including the operation of the tractor which provides it with mobility.

And a still further object of my invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described, which is simple and economical to manufacture and operate and which is, moreover, particularly well suited to the purposes for which it is intended.

With the foregoing objects in view, and such other objects and advantages as will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates as this specification proceeds, my invention consists essentially in the arrangement and construction of parts all as hereinafter more particularly described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view of the stone collector per se.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation of a pair of collector discs, a portion of one of which is sectioned and in which view I have depicted the pincer-like action for picking up and retaining a stone.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary rear elevation of one wheel showing details of the clutch mechanism.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of my stone collector taken along the line 4-4 in Figure 1.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

The stone collector hereinafter to be described is particularly suitable for use in clearing land containing relatively large quantities of stones and the like of widely different dimensions. The disc assembly, details of which will hereinafter be described, contains means whereby the individual discs may be biased or moved apart at the perimeters thereof in order to permit the introduction therebetween of stones considerably larger than the width between any pair of adjacent discs.

This sideways movement of the discs permits the adjacent pairs of the discs to be spaced relatively close together in order to pick up relatively small stones yet still collect considerably larger stones.

Proceeding now to describe my invention in detail, it will be seen that the device is supported upon a rectangular frame i, formed of a conventional structural shape, such as channel section beam steel and including side members I and front and rear members IA and IB respectively. This frame is, in turn, itself supported upon a pair of freely rotating pneumatic-tired wheels 2 and 3.

The said wheels 2 and 3 are suspended from the aforementioned frame I by two pillow blocks 4 and 5 which are attached to the underside of the frame I, at a point forward of the centre line, sufiiciently oif centre to ensure that, even when loaded, the entire device will not tilt forward, and prematurely discharge said load.

Journalled in said pillow blocks 4 and 5, two cylindrical shafts 6 and 1 provide axles for wheels 2 and 3 which are freely rotatable thereon. The inboard hub faces of said wheels are fitted with coarse splined, or toothed, clutch plates 8 and 9 respectively, which are capable of engagement with a corresponding set of clutch plates i5 and I6 to which reference will again be made hereinbelow.

Shafts 6 and I are extended inboard after journalling in pillow blocks 4 and 5, a short distance, where ninety-degree bends l0 and it are made and the said shafts drop an appropriate distance to support a trough ll of trapezoidal section, and which is thereby carried on the implement in an underslung position, sufficiently low to add stability but with clearance great enough to permit free movement over rough terrain. The underslung portion i2 of the shaft 1, carries-the .to the forward Y transvers .member .3! .handle or forwardendil, of. actuating. leverfZl ities. connected tothe aforementioned angle brackets,

said trough H and is fixed thereto by means of two brackets l3 and I4 which are either welded or bolted, or riveted as shown, to the trough. This mounting is intended to permit tilting of the trough for the unloading, or discharge of the load, thereof, when the operator so desires.

To facilitate such discharge of load, the following arrangement is provided. Engageable with clutchplates Baand :9; the two correspondingly toothed clutch plates and 16 tow'hich'reference was made hereinbefore, are splined or keyed to the shafts 6 and I, and are capable of limited.- endwise movement thereon, so that thetwopalrs of clutch plates, 1. e. 8-l5 and 9l6"are "normally disengaged. The movableaplates;idanditii are fabricated in combination with necked portions ll and backing plateslt. "Twoiiqrk'ends, l9, extensions of levers 20 and 2!, freely engage with the neck portion of what I defineas the clutch plate assemblies comprising parts H:- -l'l -.l-8,-and lG .-ll -.--.L8f respectively. The-said fork ends, l9, arehalf twisted asat l.9.so.as to present-a larger widthior slotting duringmanw facture of the forks. The'levers and 15 are pin-.connected by pivotpins-ZZ, to angle bracket .sets23 and23 and 24 and-2.4, Whicha-re'b 1ted, riveted or -welded to .the upper surface of frame immediatelyabove thepillowblocks 4 and 5.

Two connectingrods, and .26, which are provided with angulated bends 25and '25 respectivelyneartheir. respective outboard ends are inserted iii-apertures provided in the upper extensionsof leverslfland 2|, and provided with "retaining .means, "to, prevent disconnection. The

inboard ends are similarly provided .with'bends -'25 -and-2 6-"respectively retaining means for insertion and retention respectively .in apertures contained-in the end of an actuating lever arm '21-. Midway betweenthese said two connecting points 28 and 29 in lever'2'l, a third aperture affords, pivoting bymeans of pivot. pin. 38, which is,

in turn, fixedto-pivotblock 31,..boltedor fastened The is. extendedtowards, the .itractor- (not. illustrated) so as to beat a pointeconvenientfor the oper- .-atorwithout necessitating .his. demounting, .or

stoppingthatractor, for the, purpose.

The function of picking up stoneais performed by a .stone gathering disc-v assembly collectively, .designa-tedi32.which includes a plurality of discs .32. The individual-discs .aredeformed, or provided witlra seriesof dimples 32" .soasto assist win retention. of stones-crother irregularly shaped objects,-such--asshown at-33 in Figure .2. These said discs are. loosely. mounted upon a shafttgi. so that they are free to adjustangleWise. from the normallyperpendicular. An internally splined collar -35 -is attached toeach .disc. and loosely, ongages withthe spliningu34 on the shait.3,.;per-.

=mitting the disc'to revolve-in an eccentric instead ofin a plane normal tothe shaft centreline, if necessary. The splining .ensuresthatthe. discs .will all revolve-while'the implementetractorcombination is in motion. The discs are separatedfrom eaclrother by tubular spacers 3,3 and by coiled compression vsprings 31, -the standing lengthof which is slightly inexcessof thelength of the said tubular spacers 36.

.-:are bent upwardly and riveted or otherwise fastenedto thesaid cantilevcrarms 38 and 39, at a point which brings the inner ends 12 of .stripper fingers over the edge of the stone receiving trough l I. The supporting bar 43 is slung at an elevation lower than that of disc shaft 34 so thahthereiis.,a.;forward inclination of the aforesaid stripper fingers. This insures that the obiectscollectedupon the discs will roll downward 'intothereceiving trough when detached from between the discs by said stripping fingers.

A counter-shaft 44 is mounted upon elevated brackets 45 and 46, .Whi c h are secured to the upper surface of' the'frame'to the rear of the main wheel shaft, The said counter-shaft 44 is journalled in two,pillow blocks 41 and 48 which 'are'mounte duponthe elevated brackets '45 and 46. One end of said. shaft .44 is provided with a hand-wheel'49. "Two collars 50 and SI on the extensions, of. shaft :34, provide rotatable attachments for cablesf5 2 and 53, which extend over to elevated counter-shaft, and are wound thereon. Thus manipulation of the hand-wheel 49, enables a'djustment-to;be made of the height of the discs above ground so that the. operator may .select'the bestj height for the terrain which is to ibe traversed. [Draw-bar attachment truss 54 attached. to. *th i am 1 l pr s mot v p we hen c up ed. a on t na ra to (no l ustrate The operator then, having madethe adjustment just mentioned hereinabove, mounts'his tractor and-proceeds to traverse the field from "which stones are to be collected and gathered.

As the discs,'32 rotate upontheir shaft 34, caused by'the: traction inherent in their rolling friction with the surface of the field, any object within the'rangeof the implement is picked up when encountered'by an adjacent pair of discs. This is performed quite simply as'thediscs adjust -themselves anglewiseto the size .of the stone,

"dueto their loose 'fit upon the shaft and the opposing spring action of the intermediate springs uponthem. This combination comprises aclutching action by the pair of adjacent discs,

and't-hestone,retained in the'deformities providedwithin the disc sheet, revolves with the disc until the stripping finger-42- is encountered. The clutching action of the twodiscs is opposed by -the said stripping finger and the stone is dis- ;lodgediandyrolls alongthe upper surface of the stripping "finger and drops into the receiving trough I I the discs, once again taking up parallel relationship due to springs;31.

:When the trough capacity has been reached, or ernatively he the Op r app a h the gathelf ingpoint and the load is to be discharged, the operator rotates wheel 49 thereby raising the disc assembly 32 as hereinbefore ."described'.

, 'Whcninthe raised po tio le e 2 is a a d there yenea in th oppo l tch p s 15 and IS with plates 8 and 9 respectively. Movethe trough II so that the contents. thereof are ,dumped .upon the ground.

Opposite movement of the implement rights the trough whereupon the clutches are disengaged thus permitting the implement to be drawn clear of the dumped stones, the disc assembly 32 being raised above same as hereinbefore described.

The disc assembly is then reset and gathering continued.

Since various modifications can be made in my invention as hereinabove described, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made within the spirit and scope of the claim without departing from such spirit and scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim as my invention is:

A stone collector for gathering and collecting stones and the like from the surface of the ground comprising in combination a substantially rectangular framework including two op posing side members and front and rear members, ground-engaging wheels journalled for rotation upon each of said side members of said framework, a stone gathering disc assembly suspended from said framework, a trough also suspended from said framework, parallel to said stone gathering assembly, means connected to said disc assembly and cooperating therewith to disengage stones from said disc assembly and deposit same within said trough, said stone gathering disc assembly including a pair of cantilever from said cross bar to a posien adjacent discs, the distal ends of ing as resting on said compression springs, said ross bar overlying said trough so that stones picked up by adjacent pairs of discs strike said fingers and roll forwardly down said fingers to be deposited in said trough.

WILLIAM H. CURRY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 373,110 Hosen Nov. 15, 1887 890,282 Keith et a1 June 9, 1908 1,859,980 Mueller May 24, 1932 2,365,540 Fonken Dec. 19, 1944 2,507,2 1? Davis et a1. May 9, 1950 2,519,136 Jochim Aug. 15, 1950 

